The Florida Senate

333.03  Power to adopt airport zoning regulations.--

(1)(a)  In order to prevent the creation or establishment of airport hazards, every political subdivision having an airport hazard area within its territorial limits shall, by October 1, 1977, adopt, administer, and enforce, under the police power and in the manner and upon the conditions hereinafter prescribed, airport zoning regulations for such airport hazard area.

(b)  Where an airport is owned or controlled by a political subdivision and any airport hazard area appertaining to such airport is located wholly or partly outside the territorial limits of said political subdivision, the political subdivision owning or controlling the airport and the political subdivision within which the airport hazard area is located, shall either:

1.  By interlocal agreement, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 163, adopt, administer, and enforce airport zoning regulations applicable to the airport hazard area in question; or

2.  By ordinance or resolution duly adopted, create a joint airport zoning board, which board shall have the same power to adopt, administer, and enforce airport zoning regulations applicable to the airport hazard area in question as that vested in paragraph (a) in the political subdivision within which such area is located. Each such joint board shall have as members two representatives appointed by each political subdivision participating in its creation and in addition a chair elected by a majority of the members so appointed. However, the airport manager or managers of the affected political subdivisions shall serve on the board in a nonvoting capacity.

(c)  Airport zoning regulations adopted under paragraph (a) shall, as a minimum, require:

1.  A variance for the erection, alteration, or modification of any structure which would cause the structure to exceed the federal obstruction standards as contained in 14 C.F.R. ss. 77.21, 77.23, 77.25, 77.28, and 77.29;

2.  Obstruction marking and lighting for structures as specified in s. 333.07(3);

3.  Documentation showing compliance with the federal requirement for notification of proposed construction and a valid aeronautical evaluation submitted by each person applying for a variance;

4.  Consideration of the criteria in s. 333.025(6), when determining whether to issue or deny a variance; and

5.  That no variance shall be approved solely on the basis that such proposed structure will not exceed federal obstruction standards as contained in 14 C.F.R. ss. 77.21, 77.23, 77.25, 77.28, or 77.29, or any other federal aviation regulation.

(d)  The department shall issue copies of the federal obstruction standards as contained in 14 C.F.R. ss. 77.21, 77.23, 77.25, 77.28, and 77.29 to each political subdivision having airport hazard areas and, in cooperation with political subdivisions, shall issue appropriate airport zoning maps depicting within each county the maximum allowable height of any structure or tree. Material distributed pursuant to this subsection shall be at no cost to authorized recipients.

(2)  In the manner provided in subsection (1), interim airport land use compatibility zoning regulations shall be adopted. When political subdivisions have adopted land development regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 163 which address the use of land in the manner consistent with the provisions herein, adoption of airport land use compatibility regulations pursuant to this subsection shall not be required. Interim airport land use compatibility zoning regulations shall consider the following:

(a)  Whether sanitary landfills are located within the following areas:

1.  Within 10,000 feet from the nearest point of any runway used or planned to be used by turbojet or turboprop aircraft.

2.  Within 5,000 feet from the nearest point of any runway used only by piston-type aircraft.

3.  Outside the perimeters defined in subparagraphs 1. and 2., but still within the lateral limits of the civil airport imaginary surfaces defined in 14 C.F.R. part 77.25. Case-by-case review of such landfills is advised.

(b)  Whether any landfill is located and constructed so that it attracts or sustains hazardous bird movements from feeding, water, or roosting areas into, or across, the runways or approach and departure patterns of aircraft. The political subdivision shall request from the airport authority or other governing body operating the airport a report on such bird feeding or roosting areas that at the time of the request are known to the airport. In preparing its report, the authority, or other governing body, shall consider whether the landfill will incorporate bird management techniques or other practices to minimize bird hazards to airborne aircraft. The airport authority or other governing body shall respond to the political subdivision no later than 30 days after receipt of such request.

(c)  Where an airport authority or other governing body operating a publicly owned, public-use airport has conducted a noise study in accordance with the provisions of 14 C.F.R. part 150, neither residential construction nor any educational facility as defined in chapter 235, with the exception of aviation school facilities, shall be permitted within the area contiguous to the airport defined by an outer noise contour that is considered incompatible with that type of construction by 14 C.F.R. part 150, Appendix A or an equivalent noise level as established by other types of noise studies.

(d)  Where an airport authority or other governing body operating a publicly owned, public-use airport has not conducted a noise study, neither residential construction nor any educational facility as defined in chapter 235, with the exception of aviation school facilities, shall be permitted within an area contiguous to the airport measuring one-half the length of the longest runway on either side of and at the end of each runway centerline.

(3)  In the manner provided in subsection (1), airport zoning regulations shall be adopted which restrict new incompatible uses, activities, or construction within runway clear zones, including uses, activities, or construction in runway clear zones which are incompatible with normal airport operations or endanger public health, safety, and welfare by resulting in congregations of people, emissions of light or smoke, or attraction of birds. Such regulations shall prohibit the construction of an educational facility of a public or private school at either end of a runway of a publicly owned, public-use airport within an area which extends 5 miles in a direct line along the centerline of the runway, and which has a width measuring one-half the length of the runway. Exceptions approving construction of an educational facility within the delineated area shall only be granted when the political subdivision administering the zoning regulations makes specific findings detailing how the public policy reasons for allowing the construction outweigh health and safety concerns prohibiting such a location.

(4)  The procedures outlined in subsections (1), (2), and (3) for the adoption of such regulations are supplemental to any existing procedures utilized by political subdivisions in the adoption of such regulations.

(5)  The Department of Transportation shall provide technical assistance to any political subdivision requesting assistance in the preparation of an airport zoning code. A copy of all local airport zoning codes, rules, and regulations, and amendments and proposed and granted variances thereto, shall be filed with the department.

(6)  Nothing in subsection (2) or subsection (3) shall be construed to require the removal, alteration, sound conditioning, or other change, or to interfere with the continued use or adjacent expansion of any educational structure or site in existence on July 1, 1993, or be construed to prohibit the construction of any new structure for which a site has been determined as provided in s. 235.19, as of July 1, 1993.

History.--s. 3, ch. 23079, 1945; s. 4, ch. 75-16; s. 4, ch. 88-356; s. 72, ch. 90-136; s. 8, ch. 92-152; s. 10, ch. 93-164; s. 1, ch. 94-201; s. 958, ch. 95-148.